Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-08-29
A Yankees View of Lower Canada.


l landed from the ~. Lawrence in
this city. The sun ushered in the
day grand and sublime as one could
imagine the foliage. along the hanks
Of the river. was Gods own foliage.
and the majestic cliffs on either side
would seem to remind one Of natures
palisades along the Hudson. or the
bold and rugged Adirondack shore Of
grand old Champlain. and here. al
most within stones throw from
where we embark, rests an that was
mortal Of Champlain.
This early navigator who over two
hundred years ago passed down the
grand Lake which hears his name.
through the Sorel and ~. Lawrence
10 this place. and. like DE Soto. to be
buried on the banks of the stream
he 80 much admired. Ii was in 1882
the first pale face landed on this his
tOric spot. At the foot of the hin Is
the old Notre Dame church. erected
over one hundred years before Amer
lean independence, and the old cathe-
dral. still worshiped like Aarons calf
OF gold. dates back two hundred
years. Here Is the grand old city of
Quebec. Vet grand only in the past.
( Streets. there seem 10 Tie none. You
start TO climb up the hill and YOU
soon find yourself wandering amid
lot OF old buildings. that seem to have
been shot into the bank centuries ago
by an old Springfield musket and
crOss-eyed marksman. l soon tho't
10 take in the situation. and casting
my slouch. Yankee hat 10 the lee
ward. looking over the motley. shift
less mortals. wondering only why
they lived. q stranger near by de- |
veloped considerable vitality he gave |
me tap on the shoulder and said
'-Old fellow. you are a Yankee and /
50 am |. Let's shake" And / was /
glad TO meet him. He had drifted /
here. was making Quebec his home.
and said. ''all that keeps me here I'm
too poor 10 walk back" but he knew
Quebec. and we visited the plains of
Abraham where Wolfe and Montcalm
fought their battle and fell. He
showed me the place where gallant
Montgomery was killed while irving
TO scale the heights we interviewed
the old forts, now about as formida-
ble as q dilapidated back yard we
looked over the old prison. in the
very heart of the city. partially sur
rounded with dilapidated walls and
now used for a stable. and he said.
I'VE have seen Quebec" Well. all
this was interesting nature had just
made the surroundings sublime. but
OF late an INCIDENT population had al
lowed everything TO 20 70 decay.
Here Is a city. the oldest in the Do
miniOn. if not on the American con-
tinent. that once bOasted a population
Of eighty thousand souls: now il has
less than fifty thousand. and not half
the enterprise or business Of one Of the
towns Of Essex county. They have
about mile Of horse railroad. hut
the horses are 50 poor they have to
Be started with a crowbar. and the
drivers looked as though their only
friend was a cOrkscTew. All this /
nave written Is mild, and vet the
more intelligent people Of the Domin-
on are all clamoring for commercial
lnion. while twenty years ago they
Fere championing for dis-union.
he men who cheered and welcomed :
he murderers and robbers Of st. Al 2
5ans. the ladies that wined and dined
hem in Montreal are the ones now p
eady 70 be admitted into the Union q
f states that they did their utmost j.
0 destroy To-day we respect the =
nan Of the south who fought honest %
=, but the abettOrs Of crime Of other q
.eOple must not be forgotten but J.
lust return 10 the real native a. be- e'
;. and ] say frankly see nothing in n
his part Of the Dominion the United q
tates would accept Of, even on -
Ilded plate. When Canada will rid -
l.
self Of the yoke Of popery-and ] ~
al At no mans religiOn-when II ~
i'll show Us that it has educational co
dvantages near as good a. our own. 10
hen they can make a moving ma y
nine that don't remind one Of an old
'anEille horse power, then We will 81
Jnsider the matter u annexation Or ca
union. Give Canada a.
OyernOr Proctor, a Carol Page. ~
ID men of such stamp, for business. ~
III IN less than six months the aver u
ye mortal here would be turning in'
mersaults and wondering where IN ~
eaton he was Along the rivers ~
ey raise large quantities u hay and me
ain, for il srM grow. but they rob D.
6 land II ali that it produces. They sie
re no more idea Of the needs and a.
4uirements ~ fertilizing and tilling
E soil than a dead negro. Prom
ontreal 70 Quebec many buildings ~ia
ye the ancient matched roOf-eirn- ~pf
oaai
7 . covering ~ straw the barns aH
sc % underpinnings. aud the well "'s-
the center u the barn yard sup
- the household and -tOek with
ter; All this j. fact. But I com 90
need 70 write you simply . word i''
out what chance - see m tlds ~
amt old cftv. Onneayiv ever, ,.,.,,.., pol